"The development of community methods of treatment implies the wider application of the social sciences, mainly sociology and anthropology, to existing psychiatric practice. War-time needs with the huge volume of psychiatric cases and relative shortage of psychiatrists gave a tremendous stimulus to social methods of treatment in psychiatry; but probably more important is the changing cultural pattern in Britain. It appears to us that, in this country at least, the community is to-day assuming social responsibilities which would not have been contemplated a generation ago. This growth of a social conscience goes much deeper than the political changes which have occurred during recent years, although these are themselves a manifestation of social change. This book is a report on the work of a unit which was organized to study and develop community methods of treatment. Many different factors led to its inception. The inquiry really started ten years ago when a trend towards group treatment and studies of the patient community-appeared in British psychiatry; these trends were developed by Army psychiatrists and psychologists and by the Emergency Medical Service of the Ministry of Health; the experiments at Mill Hill and Dartford (both Ministry of Health hospitals) which are briefly described in this book, were forerunners of the present Industrial Neurosis Unit at Belmont Hospital which was started in April 1947"--Introduction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

This volume provides a comprehensive review of the essentials of the Therapeutic Community (TC) theory and its practical "whole person" approach to the treatment of substance abuse disorders and related problems. Part I outlines the perspective of the traditional views of the substance abuse disorder, the substance abuser, and the basic components of this approach. Part II explains the organizational structure of the TC, its work components, and the role of residents and staff. The chapters in Part III describe the essential activities of TC life that relate most directly to the recovery process and the goals of rehabilitation. The final part outlines how individuals change in the TC behaviorally, cognitively, and emotionally. This is an invaluable resource for all addictions professionals and students.

This is a collection of published papers describing modified therapeutic community (TC) programs, presenting adaptations of the TC model and methods implemented in a variety of institutions and settings.

Democratic therapeutic communities have been set up all over the world, but until now there has not been a manual that sets out the underlying theories, and describes successful practice. Based on their own substantial experience and expertise, the authors of this new textbook explain how to set up and run modern therapeutic communities as effective evidence-based interventions for personality disorder and other common mental health conditions. Including detailed templates and practical information alongside a wider historical context, this encyclopaedic handbook will enable clinicians to develop and implement a democratic therapeutic community model with confidence. Highlighting the importance of belonging to a wider community, this book also shows how to ensure the needs of patients are considered and met, and that patients themselves can see in detail what this approach entails. This is an invaluable resource for clinicians and service commissioners working in the field of recovery from personality disorder, as well as those working in mental health and healthcare. This book also provides a useful model for professionals working in prisons and the justice system, long-term drug and alcohol rehabilitation and education, and students of group analytic, psychotherapy, and counselling courses.